Books and beyond: Screen-free ways to build early literacy at home

Photo above courtesy of Reading is FUNdamental Pittsburgh.

It starts with a giggle. Then a puppet wiggles. A caregiver hums the first lines of “A Big Sea Star.” And then, like magic, bubbles float through the air, drawing toddlers into a world where words are playthings, stories are building blocks and even egg shakers can spark the journey toward reading.

These shared experiences, often screen-free and rooted in connection, are proving essential in shaping how children begin to understand language, story and their own voices.

According to the Harvard Center on the Developing Child, neural connections for language are formed most rapidly during the first three years of life. The more words, songs and responsive, back-and-forth conversations a child is exposed to, the stronger the foundation for future learning.  

“Early literacy is much more than just reading to children,” says Megan Chips, Program Director at Reading Ready Pittsburgh. “When parents talk, read and sing with their babies and toddlers, they are developing early literacy skills!”

Florri Ladov has spent years centering families in this work. As executive director of Reading Is FUNdamental Pittsburgh, Ladov leads the Book Babies program, which provides a comprehensive approach to early literacy for children ages 0–3. “Book Babies, our young family engagement program, serves parents and tots, up to age 3, providing books, resources, and support to help parents and caregivers raise healthy, literate children,” says Ladov.

Unlike programs that focus on school readiness through academic drills, Book Babies starts with empowerment. “The program is an acknowledgment that parents and caregivers are their children’s first teachers, critical to developing literacy and school-readiness.” 

That belief shapes everything, from the warm tone of storytime sessions to the design of monthly book deliveries.

The cornerstone of the program is the Storymobile, a brightly colored library-on-wheels that travels through Allegheny County to meet families where they are. Inside, caregivers and children experience storytimes rich with music, movement and materials designed for sensory play. “During storytimes, we incorporate a holistic approach to learning, encouraging parents and caregivers to read, talk, sing and play with their little ones every day,” says Ladov.

These moments are built intentionally. “Together, they learn fun new songs like ‘A Big Sea Star’; listen to engaging read-alouds, many of which carry messages of empowerment; and play with bubbles, egg shakers, animal puppets, scarves and other hands-on objects that build fine motor skills and make storytimes more interactive,” Ladov explains.

But the learning doesn’t end with the session. Each Book Babies family receives a monthly resource bag filled with 8–10 brand-new, culturally inclusive books. “In addition, parents can specially request books for any of their children, as well as order books from our catalogue for their older children, themselves or any family member,” Ladov adds.

Storytime participation is also rewarded with literacy-boosting items like felt boards, gift cards and educational toys.

According to Ladov, these tools are a gateway to deeper relationships between children and their caregivers, and between caregivers themselves. “These sessions provide a much-needed forum to connect with each other over shared experiences and similar struggles, cultivating supportive friendships that deepen and grow with their little ones.”

For children who are not yet decoding letters, Book Babies focuses on developing foundational skills. “We focus on developing crucial pre-reading skills — including phonological, print and rhyme awareness, letter recognition, visual literacy and narrative skills,” says Ladov. These skills help children connect spoken words to print and start understanding how stories function, even before they can read independently.

Chips echoes the importance of building these pre-literacy skills in playful ways. Her organization runs “B is for Books,” a free children’s bookstore in Homestead that offers three free books per child per visit. “The books are a mix of new and gently used that have been donated by generous members of our community,” Chips explains.

The bookstore is more than just a place to pick up books. Every Saturday morning, it transforms into a lively community space with storytimes, puppet shows and special events. “This summer we are holding B is for Bugs on July 12 at B is for Books with a showcase of Carnegie Museum’s insect collection,” says Chips.

She emphasizes that parents don’t need to carve out huge blocks of time or own a home library to make an impact.

“Narrate the steps to simple routines at home like getting ready in the morning — brushing teeth, getting dressed, eating breakfast,” Chips advises. “When you describe your activities — what you’ve done, what you are doing, what you are going to do — your child starts to learn the basic arc of a story.”

Everyday literacy can also happen in waiting rooms, buses or grocery store lines. “Getting stuck in traffic, waiting at a doctor’s office—those are all great moments to play ‘I Spy,’ make up silly rhymes, or sing together,” she says.

Dr. Veena Vasudevan, assistant professor of Digital Media and Learning at the University of Pittsburgh, sees immense power in how children use play to explore language and narrative. “If a child is building with magnatiles, you might hear that the building is no ordinary building but a swimming pool for their Ninja Turtles,” says Vasudevan. “They bring the turtles over to swim and play, and suddenly, a whole story unfolds.”

Vasudevan’s work shows that storytelling skills don’t start with books — they start with the stories children live and tell through play. “Children will often integrate different media influences they encounter daily — the world of Ninja Turtles, their own family stories, Super Mario, Hindu mythology, Daniel Tiger — showing their adeptness at navigating the complexity of different story worlds.”

She calls this “early critical literacy,” where children are forming rich, symbolic understanding of their environments. “At any given moment in play, children are knitting together aspects of their home, school, after school, etc. life, bringing together characters, narratives, language, ideas, questions and real conflicts.”

Vasudevan also highlights the value of oral storytelling, especially stories that connect generations and build cultural identity. “I come from a culture of rich oral-storytelling,” she says. “After lights are out, I make up stories or tell them stories from my childhood — often my children will direct the storytelling led by their imaginations.”

Another tool she celebrates is the blank book: an open space for a child to draw, dictate and eventually write their own stories. “My 5-year-old son wrote his first book about Ninja Turtles in the fall of ’24,” she recalls. “He drew the images, and his teacher then transcribed his exact words, and when he ‘read’ it to me, he was able to recount the text.”

Access remains a central concern for all three leaders. “Access to high-quality reading materials and opportunities to read one-on-one with their children is the biggest challenge that many of our families face,” Ladov notes. 

Creating a literacy-rich home starts with community. Both RIF Pittsburgh and Reading Ready Pittsburgh aim to meet families where they are. Pittsburgh’s public libraries also provide free programming, while families can enroll in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to receive one free book each month by mail from birth to age 5.

Misconceptions about what counts as literacy can also be a barrier.

“A common misconception I hear often (including sometimes from teachers!) is that children who don’t read words aren’t reading,” says Vasudevan. “Children… are critical readers of texts; they interpret and examine images, color, symbols and other story elements. What can feel like interruptions to the story in a class setting are often children making connections between themselves and texts.”

She pushes back against the stigma around graphic novels and comics: “My older son has torn through the ‘Dog Man’ series,” she says. “Reading this series requires he keep track of the many characters, sub-plots and a range of sophisticated topics.” (The last in the “Dog Man” series, titled ‘Scarlett Shredder,’ deals with the role of AI with our human world.)

Even children who can read independently still benefit from being read to. “My 7-year-old can read well, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t love listening to a story,” says Vasudevan. “Indeed, the practices like Readers’ Theater are meant to celebrate the practice of reading, of sharing in stories, and in being able to follow along.”

This emphasis on joyful, shared literacy experiences is what unites these programs and perspectives.

 “Our approach to building literacy centers on providing children with early, positive and meaningful reading experiences,” says Ladov. “The more children see their friends, family members, neighbors and other adults in their lives reading for pleasure… the more likely they are to grow into confident, capable readers themselves.”

Vasudevan believes joyful literacy is a form of resistance. “There will be so much time for your children to be in front of a screen,” she says. “What they won’t ever have enough of is unadulterated time to simply be kids.”

“So at any turn, if there’s a chance to give them time to be outdoors, to play with tactile things,” Vasudevan says, “choose that every time.”